Will this filtration work for 50g and 125g tanks?

[tlindsey]

The only downside to the trickle method if the pump stopped during a power outage you would need to keep the biomedia moist manually.

A easy solution in that case would to place media in a mesh bag and place in the aquarium.

 

[Midwater]

The only downside to the trickle method if the pump stopped during a power outage you would need to keep the biomedia moist manually.

Lava does not dry out too quickly.

 

[tlindsey]

Hi all

Just built this filter for my new 50g aquarium. It's a 20l flat storage box piped with a 1" intake and 2 x 1 inch pvc drains at the back of the box. It contains some sponge of various grades and 12kg of lava rock rubble. The filter is designed to run as an overhead sump style filter.

I wanted to use pot scrubbers but they have became virtually impossible to source in the UK so I had to use the lava rock.

I've attached some images. Do you guys think this will be okay for filtering my 50g tank? My main concern is, will the flow rate of water be enough through the lava rock to make full use of all the surface area? Or do I maybe need to add some airstones to the filter to agitate the water under the lava rock?

I've made a similar style filter for my 125g tank which uses 30kg of the lava rock rubble.

Will this work fine as is?

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Welcome aboard

 

[esoxlucius]

So I'm hoping if the filter did clog the water would just overflow onto the polycarbonate sheet and back into the aquarium!

Well with it being an overhead filter then yes, flooding wouldn't be a problem, overspill would just go into your display tank. However, the chances are your agitated overspill water may contain gunk from your filter so that would cloud your water. Is that really how you want it to work?

Apart from the flooding issue, do you think the overhead sump style filter with the lava rock will be effective filtration?

I've no doubt it will be effective once your tanks and your filter "mature", unless that is you decide to overstock, and then you may have issues. We can't give you a definitive answer. Your test kit will tell you exactly how well it's working. Each hobbyists systems are unique to them.

 

[Lollum96]

So here is a picture of the finished filter working for the 50g tank. One potential issue I have noticed is that the water level in the filter is higher than the lava rock media. This is obviously because I have put the bulkheads so close to the top of the container.





Will this filter idea still work even with the water level sitting about an inch above the media? Will the bacteria still colonise on the lava rock even with little to no water flow through it?

Sadly the 125g tank that I purchased is leaking badly so I've had to remove all the silicone and re seal. I have constructed the filter for the tank though.

It's again an overhead tank filter and it's made from a 5g bucket. I wanted good water flow through the lava rock with this filter so I decided to pump the water in from the bottom of the bucket and force it through the lava rock. Images are pretty self explanatory.

How does this design look? Again water is pumped in through the bulkhead at the base of the bucket.

This filter will have a pre filter canister attached to the inlet so the bio media.l bucket should stay relatively clean!

Will be using a 4000 litre / hour pump to power this filter.

 

[Midwater]

Will this filter idea still work even with the water level sitting about an inch above the media? Will the bacteria still colonise on the lava rock even with little to no water flow through it?

Yes. Some of my lava sticks out the top of the water level in my sumps. It is wet, so water has capilliaried (if there is such a word). I believe that with lava you get a large variety of bacteria because of the high variation in flow rate, and you also get some anaerobic bacteria that eats nitrates too.